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McCartan

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McCartan
Mac Artáin
McCartan Arms
vert a lion a ramp. or, on a chief ar. a crescent betw. two dexter hands couped at the wrist gu.
Parent houseUlaid (Dál nAraidi)
CountryKingdom of Ulster
FounderArtan macCruinneith (d. 1004)
Current headDominick Macartan (died 1772)
Titles
  • Lord of Kinelarty
Cadet branchesGuinness (possibly)

McCartan is an Irish surname. It is the Anglicized form of Mac Artáin, denoting the son of Artán (diminutive of the personal name Art, an old Irish word for "bear"). They were the Lords of Kinelarty, a barony in the County Down which derives its name from Cenel Faghartaigh (the race/clan of Faghartagh).

The McCartans belonged to the Uí Echach Cobo—of whom Magennis was the chief family—of the Dál nAraidi, who in turn came from the Cruthin tribe who were the first Celts to arrive in Ireland from about 800 to 500 BC.[1] French President Charles de Gaulle is descended from the clan through his great-grandmother Angélique Marie McCartan.

Up until the 1600s, the McCartans were in control of much of mid-Down. The McCartan strongholds included Drumaroad, the adjoining townlands Loughinisland, Drumnaquoile, Magheratimpany, Ardilea, and the neighbouring town of Ballynahinch. The clan were chieftains of the territories of Kinelarty and Dufferin.

Kinelarty and the McCartan Chieftaincy

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In prehistoric times territorial boundaries were clearly defined by using dolmens, ritual sites and standing stones as markers. Such monuments can be found today at Slidderyford (Dundrum), Legananny (Slieve Croob), Annadorn (Loughinisland), Kilygoney (Ballynahinch) and Magheraknock (Ballynahinch).

On modern maps this area is an outline of the present barony of Kinelarty, with Loughinisland as a central hub. Interesting place names that are presently to be found in the Loughinisland area are such as:

  • Rosconnor (woods at Connor’s point)
  • Rademon (rath of Deman)
  • Castlenavan (Eamhain’s Cashel)
  • Tareesh (the King’s house)
  • Kilmoremorean (Morean's big church)
  • Cahirvor (the big seat)

These and further evidence in ancient manuscripts, provide confirmation of an ancient Kingship and Noble standing. At the Battle of Fontenoy in 1745 many McCartans fought on the French side against English regiments commanded by the landlords of their patrimony in County Down.

Modern successes

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Dr Patrick McCartan was the Dáil envoy to Washington in 1920 and in later years became a presidential candidate. In recent years more McCartan members have also held seats in Dail Eireann and in the European Parliament.

Edward McCartan, an American sculptor, is notable for his many works, including his reworking masterpiece of the Goddess Diana.

As a family bursting with football endeavors, albeit predominantly within the Gaelic adaptation of the sport, Seamus Vincent McCartan is the clan's single professional player, currently at club level for Bradford City. His international career has spanned U17, U19 and U21 levels. He made his highly anticipated International First Team debut in 2017.

Ryan McCartan, portraying the character Digbert "Diggie" Smalls on Disney's Liv and Maddie, has risen to success, showcasing the musical and theatrical talents of the clan.

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Trinity College Dublin tested the Y chromosome of a male member of the Guinness Brewery family, revealing that the claim that brewery founder Arthur Guinness was a descendant of the Magennis chieftains (of Iveagh in County Down) was incorrect, but rather that the family sprang from the McCartan clan.[2]

People

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Cairney, C. Thomas (1989). Clans and Families of Ireland and Scotland. Jefferson, North Carolina, United States, and London: McFarland & Company. p. 53. ISBN 0899503624.
  2. ^ Guinness, Patrick (2008). Arthur's round: the life and times of brewing legend Arthur Guinness. London: Owen. pp. 24–26. ISBN 978-0-7206-1296-7.
  3. ^ Guinness origins begin to settle
  • Patrick Guinness the author of Arthur's Round (2006)
  • The McCartans of Kinelarty by Thérése Ghesquiére-Diérickx and Sean McCartan. (Translations by Dr Eamon O’Ciosan)
  • Culture Northern Ireland - http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/article/1197/a-history-of-drumaroad
  • Irish Family History - A History of the Clanna-Rory or Rudricians, Descendants of Roderick the Great, Monarch of Ireland. (Compiled From the Ancient Records in the Libraries of Trinity College and the Royal Irish Academy.)